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Glasse. Hannah - The rare folio 1st edition, first issue of 1747.
The ART of COOKERY MADE PLAIN and EASY
Which far exceeds any Thing of the Kind yet Published. CONTAINING, 1. Of Roasting, Boiling, etc. 11. Of Made-Dishes. 111.Read this Chapter and you will find how Expensive a French Cook's Sauce is. 1V. To make a Number of pretty little Dishes fit for a Supper, or Side-Dish, and little Corner-Dishes for a Great Table; and the rest you have in the Chapter for Lent. V. To dress Fish. V1. Of Soops and Broths. V11. Of Puddings. V111. Of Pies. 1X. For a Fast-Dinner, a Number of good Dishes, which you may make use of for a Table at any other Time. X. Directions for the Sick. X1. For Captains of Ships. X11. Of Hog's Puddings, Sausages, etc. X11. To pot and Make Hams, etc. X1V. Of Pickling. XV. Of making Cakes, etc. XV1. Of Cheesecakes, Creams, Jellies, Whip Syllabubs, etc. XV11. Of Made Wines, Brewing, French Bread, Muffins, etc. XV111. Jarring and Cherries, Preserves, etc. X1X. To make Anchovies, Vermicella, Ketchup, Vinegar, and to keep Artichokes, French Beans, etc. XX. Of Distilling. XX1. How to Market; the Seasons of the Year for Butchers Meat, Poultry, Fish, Herbs, Roots, etc and Fruit. XX11. A certain Cure for the Bite of a Mad Dog. By Dr. Mead. BY A LADY. A engraved printer's device between lines. LONDON: Printed for the AUTHOR, and sold at Mrs Ashburn's, a China-Shop, The Corner of Fleet-Ditch. MDCCXLVII [Price 3s.6 (the 6 written by hand) stictch'd, and 5s. bound]
FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE. 1747. Folio. 287x184 mm. 1 fep. Title page with the the handwritten 6 after the 3s as called for in the last line. [1] 2 pages of Subscribers. 11 pages of Contents with small one inch piece with no loss missing from 1st page.1 page A small Instruction by Glasse. (1)ii To the Reader. (1)4 - 166, although miss-paginated; page numbers 66/67 and 136/137 missing with no loss to text (This miss-pagination matches Cagle's copy). 1 fep. Our copy seems to conform to Marcus Crahan’s description of the first issue, with 16pp. preliminaries rather than 20. Without notice of second place of sale on the title page and with the price of ‘6d’ entered by hand. Pages 37 - 41 with some foxing. All other pages very clean. Title page and edges slightly age browned. Spine and tips bound in sprinkled dark-brown half calf and boards marbled. Spine with raised bands, gilt lines and tooled devices in compartments with red morocco label. A very good copy of one of the rarities of cookery texts.
- ‘The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy’ was written by Hannah Glasse and published in 1747 in its famous folio format. Even though it was expensive at 5 shillings for a bound copy or 3.6 shillings unbound, it was an instant success, and was a best seller for over a hundred years, being published continuously until 1843. This made Glasse one of the best-known cookery writers of the eighteenth century. She was not supplanted as a culinary authority until the work of Mrs. Isabella Beeton appeared in 1861 over a century later. The books of those famous ladies being two of the cornerstone works needed in the building of an English culinary library. As Hannah Glasse explains in the preface, the book was intended to be an instruction manual for servants - 'the lower sort' as she called them. As Hannah puts it, the book should 'improve the servants and save the ladies a great deal of trouble'. She is dismissive of the fanciful language used by other cookery book writers, which she feels simply confuses the servants: 'the poor girls are at a loss to know what they mean,' she writes. In contrast, her style is precise and direct. The power of her book though is the clarity of the writing. She's authoritative but she is also intimate, treating you as an equal. Even though a large percentage of the recipes were plagarised, even reproduced verbatim from recipes published in earlier books by other writers, she shows a great deal of her own skill and originality. It is an unprecedentedly comprehensive recipe book with simple instructions, accessible ingredients, an accent on thrift (even though she recommends in the preface that half a pound of butter is enough to fry 12 eggs), easy recipes and practical help with weights and timing, which was a big step up from previous works. Her writing style is lively, intelligent and amusing. Glasse is scornful of the elaborate and extravagant French recipes of the period, but many of her recipes will have been influenced by French cuisine, which was becoming increasingly fashionable at the time. This does not inhibit Glasse from including the earliest recipe in an English cookbook for Indian curry, albeit with just black pepper and coriander. No Huldi, Lal Mirch, Methi, Jeera etc. Even though the ‘Art of Cookery’ was a ground breaking effort that generated much interest, the fame and survival of Hannah Glasse’s book is not due to her genius or her ability as a cook, as she was neither, but for four years following its publication, there were widespread rumours that ‘The Art of Cookery’ had been written by a man. For a woman to have written such an eloquent and well-organised work seemed implausible to many. James Boswell's diary records a party at the house of the publisher Charles Dilly, at which the issue was discussed. He quotes Samuel Johnson as saying, 'Women can spin very well; but they cannot make a good book of cookery.' Many others also believed this. It was not till she edited and published her fourth edition of 1751 that Johnson’s ill-advised quip was proved false. Due to the negative press generated by the popular book being first written and published by ‘A Lady’, Glasse inserted her trade card as a handsome engraved frontispiece and signed the first page of recipes, putting to rest all the speculation. (See my 1751 edition – item number 10968 in this website). This first edition is extremely scarce, but just how scarce is hard to figure, even after a lot of research. Due to demand the second edition was published in the same year; 1747. This strongly indicates that the first print run was very small. As can be seen in the Subscriber’s list printed in the first edition, there are 202 names. Assuming the subscribers all received a copy and there was enough cash to print a few more, we can possibly assume a print run of no more than 500 copies. Scarce indeed! --- COPAC lists only 10 firsts of 1747 out of 491 copies of various other editions in British holdings. As could be expected there are substantially more second editions listed. This cookbook has a somewhat iconic status that is hard to believe. Along with Beeton's equally rare original 24 booklets of 'Household Management' published before she brought out the 1st edition in book form, they both fetch silly money when they do appear at auction. --- Bitting, pages 186-87; The STC by Virginia Maclean, page 59; Cagle, pages 497-8; Arnold Oxford, pages 76-77; The Cetus Library, sold at Bloomsbury Auctions, lot 149: Marcus and Elizabeth Crahan collection sold at Sothebys, p317; Andre Simon Bibliotheca Gastronomica , 761;

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11212

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - A very rare item.
One of Escoffier and Charles Scotto's Menus, .
From the Hamburg Amerika liner S.S. Imperator. June 23rd 1914.
180x158 mm. 4 pages. The front cover of the menu is an unusual birds-eye view of New York Harbour with S.S. Imperator steaming towards the Statue of Liberty and skyline of N.Y. in a circle. Beautifully observed and painted. 1st page, A farwell Dinner. Nice big menu written in English and German with eleven courses of French and American dishes. On the verso of the 3rd page, a music programme. Overall in very good condition and housed in a handsome cardboard folder covered in crimson marbled paper with a label on the front cover. A rare item of Escoffier and Charles Scotto ephemera.
- In 1912 the Hamburg Amerika line again requested Escoffier’s services for the planning and inauguration of the kitchens on the brand new 53,000 ton liner, S.S. Imperator. Escoffier had previously planned and opened in 1905, the kitchens and dining rooms of the liners S.S. Amerika and S.S. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria. The new restaurants had been a stunning success. Those a'la carte restaurant services on board all of those liners were called the “The Ritz Carlton Restaurants”. On the Imperator, Escoffier brought his famous pupil, Charles Scotto to be the Head Chef. The official trial cruise was to have an illustrious passenger; Emperor William. On the 8th July 1912, the Emperor boarded and they weighed anchor immediately and set sail towards Heligoland. On the last day of the Emperor’s stay on board He had a conversation with Escoffier. He thanked him for taking responsibility for the cuisine and how delighted He had been at the level of comfort He had experienced on board. In August 1914, as World War I began, the S.S. Imperator was laid up at Hamburg and remained inactive for more than four years until 1918. This menu is a ‘Farewell Dinner’ dated June 23rd 1914. It is not inconceivable that it is a part of the overall farewells of many people associated with this great ship. It is also rare to be able to tie down a Charles Scotto menu. He was to become one of the leading Chefs of the early American Culinary associations and schools. Becoming as famous there as his Master. Ref: Herbodeau and Thalman’s fine autobiography of Escoffier’s life.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11213

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - Two Escoffier menus.
Ritz Carlton Restaurants on board the Hamburg Amerika Line ships.
A Lunch and Dinner menu from the S.S. Amerika passenger liner, March 1908.
Menu 1. Dinner dated March 14th 1908 - 177x117 mm. A folded card with a very good drawing of the SS Amerika on the front cover. Inside a 12 course dinner in English and German with French and a few US dishes. On the back cover is the music programme with a lovely drawing of a violinist. Clean and handsome. Menu 2. Lunch dated March 12th 1908 - 130x90 mm. . A folded card with a header titled ‘A Suggestion' on the front cover. Inside a plain 6 course lunch in English and German. On the back cover are a couple of glue strips that suggest this menu was pasted into a folder at some time. All text and menu borders in gilt. The guttering has been strengthened but still a clean and handsome item. Overall in very good condition and housed in a handsome cardboard folder covered in grey marbled paper with a label on the front cover. A rare item of Escoffier ephemera.
- The Hamburg Amerika Liner company requested Auguste Escoffier and Cesar Ritz’s services for the planning and inauguration of the Kitchens and Restaurants on the brand new liners "S.S. Amerika" and the 'S.S. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria. Both of these ships were built side by side at the Harland Wolff shipyards in Belfast. 'Amerika' was launched first on April 20th 1905, According to the Morton Allan Directory of European Passenger Steamship Arrivals (Baltimore: 1987), the “S.S. Amerika" sailed between Hamburg and New York from 1905-1913. For the year 1914 it sailed between Hamburg and Boston; the Amerika's last U.S. arrivals were to Boston on 19 June and 24 July 1914. In 1912, it was the first ship to warn Titanic of icebergs. The kitchens and dining rooms of the liners S.S. Amerika and S.S. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria opened with the very original a la carte restaurants. The service on board all of those liners was called the “The Ritz Carlton Restaurants”. There had never been an a’la Cartre restaurant of any kind on a ship before. Adding the names of Escoffier and Ritz to this novel enterprise and the interest, support and demand completely filled the dining rooms every day. The new restaurants became stunning successes. They even had to significantly expand the kitchen of the 'S.S. Kaiserin Auguste Victoria' after the first voyage. Escoffier’s secondment from the Carlton Hotel to the Hamburg Amerika line was to last until 1915 and would further help to cement his reputation as the gastronomic Master craftsman of the age.

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Ephemera category

ref number: 11214

Woolley. Hannah - The rare first edition.
THE COMPLEAT SERVANT-MAID.
OR, THE Young Maidens Tutor. Directing how they may fit, and qualifie themselves for any of those Employments. Viz, Waiting Women, House-keeper, Chamber-maid, Cook-Maid, Under Cook-Maid, Nursery-maid, Dairy-Maid, House-Maid, Scullery-Maid. (a single line) Composed for the great benefit and advantage of all young Maidens. (a single line) LONDON, Printed for T. Passinger, at the tree Bibles on London Bridge, 1677.
FIRST EDITION. 150x92mm. 1fep with large bookplate of John George Mortlock and Licence information on Verso. Title page has a full double line border. [1] 7 pages The Epistle. [1] 1-167. 3 pages Advertisements. 2feps. 2 folding plates of writing examples, between pages 20-21. 1 plate repaired without loss. Pages 142-154 Bills of Fare. Lightly age-browned throughout. Original dark brown calf boards neatly re-tipped. Modern calf spine sympathetically bound in.
- Jilly Lehmann in her very informative book ‘The British Housewife’ has assembled from meagre facts a good dated biography of Hannah Woolley. Probably born 1623, she was one of the most prolific Elizabethan cookery writers. Due to the fact that her works were heavily plagiarised and she produced in total, five cookery books between 1661 and 1677, it made her the dominant figure amongst cookery authors. She was also the first to put her name to her works (although this volume remains anonymous) and make a precarious living from writing cookery books. In the supplement of ‘The Queen-like Closet’, Woolley informs us the she learned her cookery skills from her mother and elder sisters. By the age of seventeen she was employed for seven years by a noble lady, who encouraged her by buying her ingredients and books. She then married Woolley in 1647 when she was twenty-four. Woolley was the master of a free school at Newport Pond in Essex. Seven years later they moved and opened another school in Hackney with sixty boarders. Woolley died leaving Hannah with four children to support. She then married Francis Challinor in 1666. In the early 1660’s she possibly worked for Lady Anne Wroth and her daughter Mary to whom ‘The Cooks Guide’ is dedicated. This last book of Woolley’s is unusual, in that it addresses the complete back-of-house department skills besides just the kitchen. Addressing all the servants, or in Woolley’s words; Young Maidens, advising them of the various crucial skills needed to secure their position and improve them and importantly, to please their titled employers. This book shows just how astute Woolley was. She identified the back-of-house areas not generally covered solely in cookery books and produced one just specifically for that purpose. Oxford has a 1677 edition and comments on the usefulness of this little book. He informs of a 9th edition of 1729 with a supplement, but the plates removed. Hazlitt and Cagle have each a 5th edition of 1691. COPAC shows nine copies of the 1677 - 1st edition in UK holdings.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11215

Cassells - Extremely rare 20 original parts.
New Dictionary of Cookery
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS AND TWENTY PLATES IN COLOURS CONTAINING ABOUT TEN THOUSAND RECIPES CASSELL AND COMPANY, LIMITED LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK AND MELBOURNE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MCMIV
20 booklets each one 4to - 244x170mm x 6mm thick. The booklets are not separately paginated but continuously numbered from the first to last one. Booklet twenty finishes on page 1165 and an index. Each booklet though has a lovely unique coloured frontispiece. Many fine illustrations in the text. All the booklets, text and light grey-blue covers in fine condition, except for the covers on booklet one and twenty are a little rubbed. They are all housed in a large bottle green clamshell box with cloth boards, half bottle green morocco spine with raised bands and two red labels and fine gilt tooling. A very fine rare set.
- The conclusion of a lot of research into relatively scarce, varied and confusing details about ‘Cassells Dictionary of Cookery’ is hard to condense. It appears that the first edition in book form is un-dated and printed - 1875-76. There are four copies in British holdings; BL. Nat. Trust. Nat Lib. of Wales & Oxford. The next edition, -1877, has 10 coloured plates including a frontis, and many illustrations. An 1878-80 single volume in the BL appears to be a version issued in thirteen parts since the original blue paper binding of Part 1, price 6d, is bound in before the frontispiece. Each part cost 6d except the thirteenth, which sold for 8d. An 1888 OB rebound volume was originally issued in thirteen parts bound in red paper. An LB copy printed in 1896 at London, Paris and Melbourne by Cassell and Co Ltd is the version issued in ten parts costing 6d each, originally bound in blue paper then inexplicably rebound into one volume by the library. An OB volume was originally issued in ten parts costing 6d each and bound in blue paper. Quite why the libraries feel it is right to rebind into one volume these sets of original monthly booklets is unbelievable and unforgivable. The next significant issue in one volume was printed in 1904 in London, Paris, New York and Melbourne by Cassell and Co Ltd. It was now named ‘Cassells New Dictionary of Cooking’’ It appears it was issued as a single volume , This single volume was also issued in twenty fortnightly parts. (Inside booklet one of this set is a yellow form that people can fill out to order the booklets) There is no doubt that this set of booklets seen here are exceedingly rare, possibly as rare as Mrs Beeton's twenty four original parts of "Household Management'. The reason for the rarity is now obvious. After doing this research on Cassells Dictionary, the sets of the original booklets, whether ten, thirteen or twenty have mostly been rebound into single volumes by many libraries. Whereas it may be explained that rebinding the booklets into one volume helped to preserve them from the multiple handling of numerous readers, conversely, it loses forever the uniqueness of the original separately bound parts, all with their own covers. Although ‘Cassells Dictionary of Cookery’ books may not be fervently collected which may be explained by the fact they are published by a company rather than an individual. There are many booklets produced with great charm by companies promoting single products. Beautiful booklets of that ilk that come to mind are those promoted by Elizabeth David for various wine companies and Le Crueset. Another is Liebig Company's Cookery book. Cassell's booklets on Cookery are not promoting a product but rather published and sold by a company. They have been produced with great care and thought and are a large undertaking. As explained in the preface of the first booklet, it was set out in alphabetical dictionary format to enable the user to find a dish easily. Many of the recipes were made and tested by Mr V. Benoist of 30 Picadilly London. This is the same V. Benoist who set up on 26 Feb 1910 using the same name, the famous wholesale purveyor of food, beverages and tobacco. An exciting find and in some ways nicer than Beeton's booklets. Not found in any of the bibliographies nor auction records.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11216

Farley. John & Co-Partners. - Superlatively rare, signed by Farley and two other directors.
An original Indenture for the London Tavern signed by John Farley the famous cook.
Signed individually by all parties, for “ a new partnership in the trade and business of a Vintner of and in the said House and Tavern called the London Tavern in Bishopsgate Street aforesaid for the Term of Seven Years”.
Two large vellum membranes - 711 x 838mm. Folded in typical indenture folds for filing and storage with top outer part showing in fine ink script, dated 1800 and Farley, Terry and Peacock’s names and their ‘Articles of Co-Partnership’. The exterior fold has some light soiling and browning to one outer edge where its has been stored on a shelf for many years, but internally its very clean. The beginning of the indenture has a large elaborate heading in ink and a good cursive hand is evident throughout the whole manuscript. The signatures of Farley, Terry and Peacock are at the bottom, each with a small red seal. Overall an excellent item.
- John Farley was the well-known Head Cook of the London Tavern whose famous cookery book ‘The London Art of Cookery’ was first published in 1783. When he started and finished his tenure there is hard to establish. We do know that his time at the London Tavern extended for many years, and he played a large role in its fine reputation and success. In The Old Bailey trial accounts for the 16th September 1795, it is recorded that a man, Clark Hillard, was indicted on August the 4th for stealing from the London Tavern. The accusers, named as the directors of the Tavern, were John Bleadon, John Farley, Edward Terry and John Henry Peacock. Five years later John Bleadon has left and the three remaining directors have re-applied for, and been granted this Vintner’s licence on August 8th 1800, for a period of seven years at a cost of £1500.oo per annum. The document further states that the directors were fined £400.oo for letting the licence lapse on the June 29th of the same year. It appears the variance in lapse dates happened because John Bleadon had stepped down as a director. The license also notes that if there is going to be a change in the future Vintners partnership it should be done by the fourth year of its term. In John Timb’s book ‘Club Life of London’ we are informed The London Tavern was re-built on the western side of Bishops-gate Street Within on the site of the former White Lion Tavern, which burned down on November 7th 1765. It was completed by Richard B. Jupp, architect, and opened in September 1768. Taking up a large footprint on the site of the current Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, the Tavern was a huge building, 80ft wide and 70ft tall. It boasted many private dining rooms and a very large public room; the Great Dining Room or 'Pillar Room', measuring 40x33 feet. On the floor above was the Ballroom measuring 33 feet in width and extending the whole length of the building. This room could also be converted to a banqueting room that would hold 300 dining guests. The room also had two galleries at each end to allow 150 ladies as spectators. An unusual concept!? After doing further research I could not find any other facts that confirmed this was a common setup in other eating establishments. This strengthens though, the fact that dining out in Taverns and Clubs was the domain of men only. (This setup would only be truly broken when Cesar Ritz designed and run his famous Hotels in the latter part of the nineteenth century for the exclusive comfort of women, in the sure and very astute understanding that when the women came to dine, the men would follow, with the inevitable desire to book rooms as well.) Not only did the London Tavern have many floors, it also had many levels in its basement, which even stretched under the adjoining buildings on both sides. One of basement floors had a number of huge vats installed, that each held two tons of live Turtles. We are further informed that if the Turtles are kept in the same water as they were shipped in they will survive very well for 3 months. To change the water would lessen the weight and flavour of the animal. This beautifully written Vintners license covered a huge cellar. Timb’s description states that the cellar covered one huge basement storey, filled with barrels of Porter, pipes of Port, butts of Sherry etc. There were labyrinth walls of bottles and a huge region of bins, six bottles deep; described as the catacombs of Johannisberg, Tokay and Burgandy. Also in storage, 1200 Champagne, 700 Claret and thousands of genial wines. We are informed those wines also absorb an interest of 5% per annum. All over this vast wine store Timb’s quaintly describes “floors with rivers of sawdust”. The final chapter in the story of The London Tavern happened around 1910 when it was demolished. After 142 years of being one of the most famous and prestigious grand City restaurants, its name was appropriated by the proprietors of the nearby King's Head Tavern in Fenchurch St. Finally, this exceptionally rare, large Indenture is a fantastic piece of ephemera, not only because of John Farley’s rare signature, but as a glimpse of what a serious and expensive business it was to be granted and hold a Vintners license in eighteenth century England.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11217

Francatelli. Charles Elme - A very rare American edition.
FRANCATELLI'S COOKERY BOOK.
A PLAIN COOKERY BOOK FOR THE WORKING CLASSES BY CHARLES ELME FRAMCATELLI LATE CHEIF COOK TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN . AUTHOR OF "THE MODERN COOK" AND "THE COOK'S GUIDE."LONDON GEORGE ROUTLEDGE AND SONS BROADWAY, LUDGATE HILL - NEW YORK: 416, BROOME STREET.
170mm x 108mm. n/d. Inner cover and 1 fep covered in advertisements. [1] Frontispiece on verso. Title page. [1] (1)10-11 Introduction. [1] (1)14-101. (1)103-105 Index. [1] (1)4-20 Avertisements. 1 fep and and back cover page covered in advertisements. Very clean original hard boards covered with green cloths with fine intricate black blind stamped tooling of a typical Victorian design. Overall the boards, spine and interior in very fine condition.
- This undated American version appears to be even rarer than the English edition of Francatelli's 'Cookery Book for the Working Classes.' COPAC shows only one 2nd edition of Francatelli's 'Plain Cookery Book for the Working Classes' held at the University of London. This edition has the same English printer and publisher as the English 'Working Classes' edition but has the Broome St, New York address added. Also the Routledge advertisements pasted to the back cover has an American Library of US authors, even having titles by Mark Twain. With its hard cover as opposed to the softer cheaper covers of the English editions and its slightly larger format, this copy has been subtly altered to suit a slightly more affluent society. It is formatted exactly the same as the English version, with the same page numbers and recipes. One gets the impression that Routledge just tried to see if the very popular English version rebound to suit the US market would prove to be as popular. As it is so rare to find a copy, one then assumes not many were sold nor printed. In fifty years of collecting I have seen just two English copies and only this one US copy. None are recorded in any of the bibliographies. Very rare indeed.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11218

Escoffier. Georges Auguste - 2 Escoffier menus, one hand-written by him.
Framed menus; Carlton Hotel, London.
A draft menu hand-written by Escoffier, undated, and another Escoffier menu, but written by another hand in cursive script, dated 1908. Both menus are from Escoffier's tenure at the Carlton Hotel, London.
Enclosed in a glass fronted gold framed picture 322mm x 378mm. The menu in the cursive script is on display. Escoffier's hand written menu is taped under plastic on the back of the picture. All in fine condition. Very rare.
- The very rare draft menu written by Escoffier in his typically messy scrawl would have then been sent to a comptroller who writes on the menu, the date and the name of the recipient of the special Dinner, as seen on this one in blue crayon. It is then sent to someone (probably in the Food & Beverage department) to be written properly and sent to the client. In this case, written in ink in a beautiful hand. Another would be written and then posted in the kitchen on the banquet notice board one week before the dinner. It appears that the letter may be written for the client, a Mrs Williams. But I think this one has come from the Kitchen itself, possibly Escoffier’s office. There were three lots in the auction from where these two items came. All lots were similar with written menus in Escoffier’s hand and menus written on Carlton Hotel headed paper in the same beautiful hand as this one. Also some Carte du Jour menus were in the lots. (See also item # 10980. The written menu by Escoffier, and a Carte du Jour menu as well, all from Escoffier’s time at the Carlton). These two items here are very rare Ephemera and give an interesting glimpse of the way the process works from Escoffier’s office to the client to the Kitchen to the eventual meal served and placed in front of the guests.

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Modern category

ref number: 11219

Scappi. Bartolomeo - Excedingly rare first edition, 1st issue. A Renaissance classic with stunning plates.
OPERA DI M. BARTOLOMEO SCAPPI
CVOCO SECRETO DI PAPA PIO QVINTO, DIVISA IN SEI LIBRI. Nel primo si contiene il ragionamento chef a l’ Autore con Gio.suo discepolo. Nel secondo si tratta di diverse viviande di carne, si di quadrupedi, come di volatili. Nel terzo si parla Flatura, e Flagione de pesci. Nel quarto si mostrano le liste del presentar le vivande in tavolo, cosi di grasso come di magro. Nel quinto si contiene l’ordine di far diverse forti paste, & altri lavor. Nel sefto, & altimo libro si ragiona de’convalescenti, & molte altre sorti di vivande per gli infermi. Con le discorso funerale che fu fatto nelle effequie di Papa Paulo 111. Con le figure chef anno bisogno nella cucina, & alli Reuerendissimi nel Conclave. [A square Tramezino printer's device showing a picture of Sibylla with large lettering around it]. QVAL PIV FERMO E IL MIO FOGLIO E IL MIO PRESAGGIO. Col priuilegio del summo Pontefice Papa Pio V. & dell’Illustrifs. Senato Veneto per anni XX.
FIRST EDITION – FIRST ISSUE. n/d 1570. Inside board and fep with marbled paper. +1fep. Title Page. [1] 2p PIVS PAPA V. 1p 1570.22.Martij in Rog. 1p Cosmos Medices. 2p ALL’ILLVESTRE, ET MOLTO REVER. SIG. 1p A I LETTORI. [2] Frontispiece Illustrated portrait of Scappi. 1-12(1) RAGIONAMENTO CHE L’AVTORE. 13(1)TAVOLA DEL PROMO LIBRO. 14-369 leaves, as unusually the recto and verso of each leaf count as one page.(1). (This also includes a section of curious pagination between a second page, numbered 123 and titled Libro Quatro Delle Liste, to page 141. There is a first correct page 123 before the mis-pagination. This anomaly is present in other 1st editions, with correct foliation, and no text loss). 6p TAVOLA. 8p HAVENDO. 27 Engraved Plates (one double page) [1] 1 fep. Inside board and end paper with marbled paper. Bound nicely in a full dark brown sheepskin. Spine with two tone black raised bands and dark brown compartments all with fine blind tooling, and a dark red label with text in gilt. The finely blind tooled dark brown boards are two tone, with black centre compartments and with finely tooled edges. The title page and the illustrated plates are very slightly age browned. The whole text-block in very good condition with edges coloured green. In excellent overall condition.
- The best known earliest printed Renaissance cookery books start in 1475 with Bartolomeo Sacchi's - Platina, De Honesta Voluptate et Valetudine. Next came the oldest cookery text, believed to have been compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century AD and called Apicius - De re Coquinaria, and first printed in January 1498. Followed by Cristoforo di Messisbugo's - Di Bhanchetti, which was published posthumously in 1549. This first edition of Scappi’s Opera, (meaning Work) was printed 21 years later in 1570 and memorably eulogised by Anne Willan - “Bartolomeo Scappi is to cooking as Michelangelo is to fine arts; in its beauty as a printed work, in its ordered presentation and comprehensiveness, his cookbook ‘Opera’ exemplifies the practical elegance of the High Renaissance.” - As Willan alludes to, no other book has matched ‘Opera’ for its twenty seven handsome and scrupulously accurate drawings, depicting the ideal renaissance kitchen setup with all the equipment of the expert cook. This is the first issue of two editions of 1570, undated and with 369 pages rather than the 444 numbered leaves of the dated second issue. Harvard Catalogue gives the first issue priority. Due to differences between settings, there is a suggestion the undated issue may have been printed by Maurice Tramezino’s brother Francesco, in Rome. This bears out because Scappi was in service in Rome and the plates and some initials were made and transferred from Venice and then back for Maurice’s dated edition which was also set from manuscript. It was Pope Pius V who personally gave the Tramezino brothers the privilege on March 29th 1570 to print Scappi’s book. Reprints of ‘Opera’ were continually published up to 1643. Bartolomeo Scappi, born c.1500 whose origins have been discovered due to fairly recent research, came from the town of Dumenza in Lombardy, with an inscription on a stone plaque inside the church of Luino. Prior to this, the first known fact of his life was in April 1536, when he cooked a dinner afforded by Cardinal Lorenzo Campeggio for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Already Scappi at thirty six years old is serving exalted guests. He served as a cook to several other cardinals after that, and then started to serve Pope Pius IV in the Vatican papal kitchen. He continued work in the service of Pope Pius V as his ‘cuoco secreto’ – private cook. Pius V himself, described Scappi as ‘peritissimus Magister’ (a most skilled Master). Indeed he was. Great thanks must be conveyed to Terence Scully who wrote and published in 2008, a fantastic full English translation of ‘Opera’. To read Sculley’s book is to see how Scappi was indeed an incomparable Master cook. Opera is laid out with astonishing practicality, detail and precision that is not, arguably bettered nor equaled, until Escoffier’s ‘Guide Culinaire’ of 1903. Pope Pius instructed Scappi to teach his two able apprentices, Francisco Reinoso and Giovanni, everything he knew and to also write a book so all his secrets would be preserved. Reinoso was trained as a Steward and Giovanni in the kitchen with Scappi. Pope Pius's instructions to Scappi to undertake the trainings and record his knowledge on manuscript were taken up by him with sincere enthusiasm and diligence. Sculley's English translation acknowledges this and also clearly conveys that two prime ingredients that cannot be divorced from great cooking or a Master Cook; great passion and love. Scappi's Opera achieves its greatness because of that. The Opera comprises 6 books that clarify precisely everything the two apprentices needed to emulate the Master. Bartolomeo lists approximately 1000 recipes of the Renaissance cuisine and describes cooking techniques and tools, giving the first known picture of a fork. He declared Parmesan to be the best cheese on earth and noted that the liver of domestic goose raised by the Jews is of extreme size and weighs between two and three pounds, indicating that Jews of the time were practising the overfeeding of ducks and geese needed to produce Foie Gras. Recipe #140 of book 2 gives long, very detailed instructions for spit-roasting domestic Peacock. He also advises at the beginning of the recipe, that the White Peacocks have black flesh, but are more tasty than than all other fowl. It is treated using the same modern procedure for some game birds, being hung in this case, for eight days before plucking and drawing. Scappi thought that Caviar was better cooked. It came in sealed casks from Alexandria. He also serves it raw on warm toast with orange juice and pepper over it. In Book 3 there are recipes for Hermit Crabs. He informs us that there is not much meat in the claws, but the goodness lies in their viscera. It takes six crabs to fill one shell. Interestingly there were also soft-shell crabs, or as described in Opera; tender crabs, available only from early April to end of May. (These are the same as the famous seasonal soft-shell crabs, harvested on the eastern seaboard of the USA). There are also precise instructions for preparing and cooking Porcupine and baby Hedgehogs. Included are 230 recipes for pastry as well as for pizza and pasta; tortellini, tagliatelli, ravioli etc. All the recipes are very detailed, and the advice on how to keep all ingredients in their best state is exemplary. The qualities, personal and professional, needed to fulfill all positions in the household are comprehensively noted. There are even illustrations and instructions for the kitchen and the food service while the Cardinals are in Conclave. Scappi's detailed knowledge of the formal arrangements and procedures for them suggests he had observed and participated in many of them from the viewpoint of the kitchen. He observed and finely described the details of the ten weeks following the funeral of Pope Paul 111. Terence Sculley notes Scappi's account of the gratification he felt in fulfilling the grave and exceptional obligations of the various kitchens to serve the food to the conclave of 1549-50. It appears nothing is forgotten nor omitted from Opera. A fascinating account of elite gastronomic refinement. Bartolomeo Scappi died on the 13th April 1577 and was buried in the Guild church of SS. Vincenzo and Anastasio in Regola dedicated to cooks and bakers. The church was demolished in 1891 and the cook's' guild was moved to San Salvatore in Onda. What happened to Scappi’s remains is not recorded. Complete first editions of Scappi's Opera come up at auction extremely rarely. A 1570 edition was sold at Sothby's on June 5th 2013 for £37,500.oo. Cagle lists a 1570 2nd issue, a 5th of 1598 and a 9th of 1643. Bitting has a 1570 2nd issue with 16 plates missing, and 1605 folio ed and a 1590 ed with plates missing. Westbury had four 1570 2nd issues, two of 1610 and one of 1643. Vicaire records seven copies with only one 1570 2nd issue. Maggs Bros Cat.No 645 shows a 1570 2nd issue, a 2nd ed of 1581 and a 1605 ed. Mosimann has a 1570 2nd issue, thus proving the superlative rarity of this 1st issue of the 1570 1st edition.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11220

CERVIO. VINCENZO - The original rare treatise on carving.
IL TRINCIANTE.
D M. VINCENZO CERVIO, AMPLIATO, ET RIDOTTO A PERFETTIONE DAL CAVALLIER REALE FVSORITTO NARNI, Trinciante dell’Illust [with small MO above]. & Reur [with small MO above]. Signor Cardinal Farnese CO’ PRIVILEGII. [Illustrated Printer woodcut device in homage to Sybille. Surrounded on 3 sides by--] QVAL PIV FERMO – E IL MIO FOGLIO – EL MIO PRESAGIO. IN VENETIA Appresso gli Heredi di Francesco Tramezini. M D LXXXI.
FIRST EDITION 1581. 3 feps. Title page very slightly age browned with 3 small ink spots not detracting. [1] 1p ALL ILLVSTRISS. 2p Ai Lettori. 1p TAVOLI. 1-44[1] 3 feps. 3 plates of carving knifes & forks, fowls ready for carving with parts labeled, and a three times folded long plate of knifes and forks. The main text in italic type. Bound in quarter dark brown calf with marbled boards and red morocco and gilt label. The whole text-block very clean. Overall in fine condition.
- Vincenzo Cervio (ca. 1510-1580) was for most of his life an officer in the household of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, and was also a famous carver. Il Trinciante, (translated; The Carver), is his posthumous book that was edited by Cavalier Reale and includes a separate section by Reale. It is stated online the book is the forerunner to all other books and manuals on carving. This is not true. It is preceded by the first treatise on the Italian art of carving by Giovanni Francesco Colle and his work; Refugio del Povero Gentilhuomo. Colle was the trinciante to the Court of Ferrara. His treatise was published in 1520 and dedicated to Duke Alfonso d’Este. Cervio's work tho' is said to be superior to all the essays of his predecessors including Domenico Romo, who wrote The Singolare Doctrine, pub: Venice 1560. This rare first edition of Cervio's Il Trinciante of 1581 is published in the original Italian, and details the carving and serving of meat, fish, fruit, shellfish and fowl. It includes no fewer than 74 chapters and promotes the Italian method of carving, where one holds the food up in the air with a fork and carves it in this posture, transforming the operation into a spectacular performance for the diners to admire. The treatise, moreover, provides "much information about the foods eaten at an Italian court of that period" (Davidson). The chapter on household matters concludes with a short piece on the carving tools designed by Fusoritto da Narni, author of at least a portion of the work. These are depicted in detail on the folding plate. Fusoritto da Narni was, in this period, trinciante to Cardinal Alessandro Mont’al- to whose uncle Felice Peretti (Sixtus V) was pope from 1585-90. It is probable that the elaborate banquets described are ones in which Narni officiated. A 2nd edition was printed in Rome in 1593 by Giulio Burchioni and in the same year the 2nd was reprinted again in Venice by Giovanni Varisco. It was also published in early seventeenth century and was often bound together with later editions of Bartolomeo Scappi’s ‘Opera’. This book is a glimpse of the elite of Italian Renaissance society and the skills of the carver as one of the important functions of their dinners and banquets. BMC STC Italian, p 166. USTC 821713 - 7 copies. Vicaire, col. 159; Westbury, pp. 45-46; 1 x 1581 & 2 x 1593. The 1st edition not in Bitting. Horn-Arndt; cf. Davidson, The Oxford companion to food, p. 156. Cagle 2 copies 1581 & 1593. Mags Cat.# 645 one copy of 1591. Mosimann has a 1st plus 2 others.

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Antiquarian category

ref number: 11221